Vaquita Porpoise SAFE Program Plan 2019-2021 - AZA
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Vaquita Porpoise SAFE Program Plan 2019-2021
Contents
Vaquita SAFE Species Program Goal ................................................................................. 3
Program Operational Structure ........................................................................................ 5
Conservation Target....................................................................................................... 7
Status of Taxon within the AZA Community ........................................................................ 7
Historical Vaquita Conservation Activities ........................................................................ 8
AZA Conservation Activities ........................................................................................... 11
AZA Public Engagement Activities................................................................................... 13
Conservation Status of Taxon ........................................................................................ 16
Population and Habitat Viability Assessment .................................................................... 16
Threats ...................................................................................................................... 17
Recovery Plan ............................................................................................................. 18
Strategic Objectives ..................................................................................................... 19
Program Plan Objectives and Actions Tables ................................................................... 21
Literature Cited ........................................................................................................... 31
Appendix 1: Previous AZA Conservation and Education Activities ....................................... 33
2
Vaquita Porpoise SAFE Species Program Goal
Working with and for the people of the Upper Gulf of
California to create sustainable fisheries and
communities in support of thriving marine life
populations.
Figure 1 - Vaquita porpoise, Phocoena sinus
INFO ON THE SPECIES
The mission of an Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) SAFE Species program is to bring groups of
AZA members together with field‐based partners to enhance the probability of conservation success for
threatened species or a group of related taxa in the wild (AZA 2017). Therefore, the Vaquita Porpoise SAFE
species program aims to ultimately prevent the extinction of the vaquita by:
3
• Involving local community stakeholders integral to the long-term survival of the vaquita in the
development of sustainable fisheries and alternative livelihoods.
• Engaging US citizens and other global partners to act locally to support sustainable fisheries in the
Upper Gulf and worldwide.
• Working with the AZA community to better understand the role of the social sciences in developing
effective and sustainable conservation strategies.
This Vaquita SAFE Program Plan builds on and continues the first Vaquita SAFE Conservation Action Plan
2016-2018 (Vaquita SAFE 2015).
4
Program Operational Structure
The operational structure of the Vaquita porpoise SAFE program includes a Program Leader, Program
Partners – Steering Committee, and expert Advisors (Table 1). Descriptions of these roles and the
associated responsibilities are included in the AZA SAFE Species Handbook (AZA 2017).
Table 1. Contact Information for the current Vaquita SAFE Program Team.
Affiliation Representative(s) Title Contact Information
Program Leaders
The Living Desert James Danoff- Director of Conservation jdanoffburg@livingdesert.org
Zoo and Gardens Burg, PhD
Aquarium of the David Bader Director of Education DBader@LBAOP.ORG
Pacific
Program Partners ‐ Steering Committee
Santa Barbara Estelle Director of Conservation & ESandhaus@sbzoo.org
Zoo Sandhaus, PhD Science; Field
Conservation Committee
Liaison
Texas State Emma Gilbert Marine Mammal Tag egilbert@txstateaq.org
Aquarium
Loveland Living Christian Burrell Director of Education christian.b@thelivingplanet.com
Planet Aquarium
Program Advisors
Instituto Nacional Lorenzo Rojas- IUCN Red List Vaquita lrojasbracho@gmail.com
de Ecología, Bracho, PhD Lead Assessor
Mexico
Southwest Barbara Taylor, Leader, Marine Mammal barbara.taylor@noaa.gov
Fisheries Science PhD, Sarah Genetics Program; IUCN
Center, NMFS, Mesnick, PhD Cetacean Specialist Group;
NOAA Marine Mammal Society’s
Conservation Committee;
IUCN Red List Vaquita
Lead Assessor
National Marine Cynthia Smith, Vice President & Executive cynthia.smith@nmmpfoundation
Mammal PhD Director .org
Foundation
CEDO Peggy Turk- Executive Director peggy@cedointercultural.org
Intercultural Boyer
Involved non-government organizations of multi-stakeholder groups include the National Technical
Consultative Subcommittee for the Protection, Conservation, and Recovery of the Vaquita and Alto
Golfo Sostenible. Both groups of stakeholders engage in strategic national protection and conservation
efforts with the goal of eradicating illegal fishing and eliminating vaquita bycatch. Other non-
government organizations include the Intercultural Center for the Study of Deserts and Oceans
(CEDO), Pronatura Noroeste, Espacios Naturales y Desarrollo Sostenible (ENDESU), the David and
5
Lucile Packard Foundation, Marisla Foundation, WWF, and the Walton Foundation all working towards
sustainable fishing management options, policy reform, prevention of overfishing, alternative
livelihoods, and sustainable use of natural resources while protecting the vaquita.
6
Conservation Target
The vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) is endemic to an unusually small range in the upper
northwestern Gulf of California, Mexico. Fewer than 22 vaquitas are estimated to remain in the world
(CIRVA 2019), with informal estimates from 2018 being as few as six and a best estimate of 10
(CIRVA 2019, Porpoise.org 2018). Acoustic surveys using underwater hydrophones (currently 87
sensors are used) dating back to 2011, in combination with the 1997, 2015, 2017, and 2019
population and mortality estimates, show that the vaquita population continues to decline every year
since inception, including from the most recent data available from 2019. As such, the species is
facing a very high risk of extinction (Jaramillo-Legorreta et al. 2007, CIRVA 2016, Taylor et al. 2016,
CIRVA 2017b, CIRVA 2019).
Our conservation target for the vaquita is to stabilize the losses in the vaquita population by working
with local communities to support the creation of sustainable fisheries and potential alternative
livelihoods in the Upper Gulf of California. Supporting the communities to embrace these changes to
the local economy, integrating new and sustainable livelihoods including sustainable fishing. This
could include helping those who are developing novel job opportunities, creating better market
connections, and help those who are focused on diversifying the economy of the Upper Gulf of
California.
Status of Taxon within the AZA Community
Vaquita are not considered suitable for long-term ex situ management due to their status in the wild.
While not recommended for care in zoological facilities some species may be given special
consideration in that they occasionally enter AZA facilities as stranded animals in need of care or if an
emerging conservation need arises that requires action.
Nevertheless, the AZA community, including members of the Marine Mammal Taxon Advisory Group
(TAG), supported VaquitaCPR by providing staff and expertise to the ex situ conservation attempt to
bring vaquita individuals into human care in the fall of 2017. Key AZA institutions involved in
VaquitaCPR included the Chicago Zoological Society, and secondarily The Aquarium of the Pacific and
The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens.
7
Historical Vaquita Conservation Activities
For many years, international, regional, and local organizations, individuals, and families have been
involved in fisheries and conservation in the Upper Gulf of California (Figure 2) with much
commendable effort devoted to saving the vaquita. This brief summary provides the background of
the different organizations involved in vaquita conservation at the levels of government and non -
government organizations (for a more comprehensive review, see Rojas-Bracho et al. 2006, Rojas-
Bracho and Reeves 2013, and CIRVA 2017b).
Figure 2 - Range of Vaquita in the Upper Gulf of California
Since the late 1990s, the US’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Southwest
Fisheries Science Center has been involved in partnerships with the Mexican government (e.g. the
Insituto Nacional de Ecología), non-government organizations and agencies to gather the best
scientific data on vaquita and oceanographic conditions. Because of surveys and in combination with
previous studies, the International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita (CIRVA) recommended
prohibiting the use of large-mesh gillnets, the exclusion of trawls within a biosphere reserve, and
improved enforcement of fishing regulations in the Upper Gulf of California. Over the decades since
CIRVA’s first report (CIRVA 1997), the Mexican ministries responsible for the environment and natural
8resource management including fisheries have helped implement CIRVA’s recommendations. Among
these efforts are the designation of a Biosphere Reserve (The Upper Gulf of California and Colorado
River Delta Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) in 1993 and, in 2005, the
establishment of a Vaquita Refuge, where all commercial fishing (including gillnets) is banned in core
vaquita habitat.
In 2007, the governments of Canada, Mexico, and the USA requested that the Commission for
Environmental Corporation (CEC) formulate a conservation strategy for vaquita. Subsequently, the
CEC published the North American Conservation Action Plan Vaquita (Commission for Environmental
Cooperation 2008). The plan recognized the need for preventing and mitigating threats, developing
alternative fishing gear and livelihoods, and increasing vaquita awareness.
The government of Mexico addressed endangered species conservation through a compensation
program and gillnet buy-out, rent-out, or switch-out option for fishermen in the mid-2000s (Bobadilla
et al. 2011). This program was coordinated and managed by several Mexican ministries (e.g.
Environment Ministry SEMARNAT and the fisheries commission CONAPESCA) the Biosphere Reserve
Program, and the Action Program for the Conservation of the Species: Vaquita (PACE Vaquita)
(SEMARNAT 2008).
As part of ongoing efforts to develop alternative fishing gear, the Instituto Nacional de Pesca
(INAPESCA) and Regional Fisheries Research Center in Guaymas, Ensenada, and Mazatlan implements
some of the alternative fishing gear trials that have been co-sponsored by the CEC, Walton
Foundation, and World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and several other sponsors.
Despite the investment by the Government of Mexico of more than $40M USD, these actions only
slowed the decline of the species (Rojas-Bracho and Reeves 2013). The Government of Mexico
continued to make forward progress in reducing gillnets in vaquita habitat by adopting regulations to
switch all shrimp gillnetting to small-type trawls over a 3-year period. They also formed a Presidential
Commission (The Comité Internacional para la Recuperación de la Vaquita or CIRVA) for the recovery
of vaquitas. Following the reporting of results from the acoustic monitoring program that revealed the
dramatic decline in the species from 2011 onwards, CIRVA recommended an emergency gillnet ban
throughout the range of vaquitas before the opening of shrimp season in September 2014. The
Government of Mexico responded with a two-year emergency gillnet ban with compensation to the
fishermen and related industries and increased enforcement efforts with the Navy in charge. The new
program was launched in San Felipe by President Peña Nieto in April of 2015 (NOAA SWFSC). In July
2015, President Nieto of Mexico declared the gillnet ban permanent, and an implementation and
enforcement plan was released in July 2018.
In 2016, CIRVA recommended an effort to capture vaquitas called Vaquita Conservation, Protection,
and Recovery, or VaquitaCPR (https://www.vaquitacpr.org/), which occurred between 12 October to
10 November 2017. The goal of this effort was to bring as many possible vaquitas as remain into
temporary human care until all gillnets were banned and removed from their habitat. Historically, the
reason that the vaquita were declining was entanglement in shrimp nets. However, due to changes in
the market and in fishing behavior, the most damaging nets are currently those that are used to catch
totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi). This large drum fish is itself listed as a government protected
(SEMARNAT 2010) and is internationally designated as Critically Endangered (Findley 2010) and is
killed only for its swim bladder. The totoaba is approximately the same size as the vaquita so nets set
9to catch totoaba are particularly effective for catching vaquita as incidental bycatch.
During the VaquitaCPR project, the world’s leading biologists and veterinarians joined efforts to
prepare for October field operations. International teams with expertise on all aspects of the proposed
work and an expert advisory group to provide guidance at critical stages collaborated throughout the
implementation of the plan. A floating sea enclosure called ‘El Nido’ was constructed and anchored
just off the coast of San Felipe, Mexico near the vaquitas’ home range. Additionally, a land-based care
center was built nearby to protect and provide medical care for vaquitas if needed (VaquitaCPR 2017).
Over the weeks of action on the water, the skilled spotters were able to log 36 confirmed visual
sightings of vaquitas (CIRVA 2017b). Sightings typically involved one to three vaquitas, with an
average group size of two (CIRVA 2017b). Despite the great preparation and the incredible amassed
scientific skill, the basic knowledge of the vaquita specifically was lacking. Much of the preparation for
the project was achieved using studies and skills amassed by the congeneric Harbor porpoise
(Phocoena phocoena), with the hope that this knowledge would transfer to the vaquita. However, it
seems that the vaquita is significantly dissimilar to the Harbor porpoise, so much so that the only two
individuals that were taken into human care by VaquitaCPR could not be retained. Both individuals
were stressed, and the second, older vaquita female died despite heroic efforts by the VaquitaCPR
scientists and animal care professionals (VaquitaCPR 2017). After the death of the older female
VaquitaCPR halted all capture operations.
CIRVA (2017b) recommended that all further plans to rescue vaquitas from the challenging
environment in which they live, riven with gillnets, with a goal of placing them under human care
should be suspended. As such, CIRVA (2017b) had three recommendations: 1. Continued acoustic
monitoring of the vaquita in the Upper Gulf of California to estimate vaquita population size, 2.
Enhanced law enforcement of gillnet ban be continued and removal of gillnets be intensified, and 3.
Fishing communities should become a major focus, with the goal of creating a gillnet-free sustainable
fishery with incentives provided to fishers to convert from gillnet fishing.
10AZA Conservation Activities
Between 2011 and 2015, AZA-accredited aquariums and zoos supported more than $55 million on a
variety of marine mammal field conservation efforts. Over those five years, the AZA community
contributed more than $115,000 specifically to vaquita conservation. Most efforts focused on
obtaining visual (photo and video) records, assessing the population, and conducting conservation
education programs.
In addition, over the entire prior program period 2016-2018, collaborative projects between AZA-
accredited aquariums and zoos focus on raising awareness about the primary threats to vaquita and
engaging the public in marine mammal conservation to help ensure a future for this endangered
porpoise. These efforts have often been on grounds or in-person in the institutions’ communities but
have also entailed significant social media posting on Facebook and Twitter as detailed below in the
AZA Public Engagement section.
From information submitted to the AZA ARCS database from 2013-2017, 82 AZA institutions spent a
total of $1,444,982 on 88 unique project submissions for the Vaquita SAFE program over those five
years (Appendix, Table 1). The bulk of these funds (91%) and projects were focused on supporting
the VaquitaCPR effort based out of San Felipe, Baja California that occurred from October to
November 2017. Support for Vaquita SAFE built slowly from 2013-2015, accelerated in 2016, and
exploded in 2017 (Figure 3). We expect that the money donated, and number of projects submitted or
updated, will be less in 2018 than in 2017, although the data are not available at the time of this
writing.
$1,200,000 90 Starting at the onset of
the first Vaquita SAFE
80
$1,000,000 conservation action plan
70
in January 2016, several
$800,000 60 AZA institutions
50 proactively pledged
$600,000
40 almost $100,000 to
support the projects
$400,000 30
identified in the original
20
$200,000 2016-2018 Vaquita SAFE
10 Conservation Action Plan.
$0 0 These pledges
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 represented a significant
Amount Spent ($) Number of Submissions or Updates commitment to achieving
the long-term
Figure 3: AZA Institutional Investment in Vaquita SAFE 2013-2017. Amount spent sustainability of the
annually uses the left axis, while number of submissions or updates is on the right axis.
vaquita population.
Data are from AZA ARCS database.
During 2016-2017,
approximately $1.44 million dollars raised and donated by AZA institutions to support VaquitaCPR.
These funds were matched with other donations from wealthy Mexican citizens and the Mexican
Government for a total VaquitaCPR budget of over $5 million dollars. Additionally, representatives
from AZA (Chicago Zoological Society, Aquarium of the Pacific, and The Living Desert) actively
11participated in the VaquitaCPR project on the ground in San Felipe in October-November 2017.
Because no institution in the world holds vaquita, and the efforts towards captive breeding were
discontinued, there have been no AZA conservation activities that have directly involved the a nimals,
aside from our collective involvement in VaquitaCPR.
However, 14 AZA institutions formally participated in the Vaquita SAFE program directly through their
involvement in conservation actions between 2016-2018 (Appendix, Table 2). These institutions
mostly focused their efforts on public engagement and culinary conservation, but a few were also
involved in one or more of the following: alternative fishing gear creation and testing, sustainable
livelihoods, value chain and economic impact assessment, and VaquitaCPR.
Indicating a broad level of individual and institutional involvement, a total of 94 individuals associated
with the AZA have worked on vaquita conservation. The involvement of these individuals includes
biology, education, outreach, and stakeholder engagement in at least one of the five projects that
were identified as priorities as part of the 2016-2018 Vaquita SAFE Conservation Action Plan
(Appendix, Table 3).
12AZA Public Engagement Activities
The Approach: Knowledge, Action, Advocacy
SAFE Vaquita conservation awareness efforts took shape after Aquarium of the Pacific Director of
Education David Bader signed on as the Project Coordinator for Public Engagement. The primary
goals were to educate the public about the vaquita and its circumstances. Building awareness and
knowledge would be a critical first step. Once someone was engaged, critical next steps would
include providing direct conservation actions and ways for people to become vaquita advocates.
The Conservation Action Plan (CAP) served as a guiding document, laying out a framework for
public engagement. Defining the SAFE team’s approach through a three-step process—
Knowledge, Action, Advocacy—also helped to simplify the CAP into an understandable and
actionable course to take.
Gathering a Team: Collaborators and Beyond
Gathering a team of collaborators was relatively easy, as many people and organizations are
energized to act on behalf of the vaquita and to prevent its extinction. These organizations
include long-standing vaquita conservation organizations like San Diego Zoo Global and
newcomers like The Ocean Project. A good portion of the collaborators that signed on come from
the southwest, which is understandable given the proximity to the vaquita’s home range.
Sharing Resources
Providing a package of educational materials, communications assets, and other tools for
collaborators for conservation education and public engagement was a highlight for Vaquita SAFE.
A set of Dropbox folders was created to seamlessly share images, graphics, videos and
messaging about the conservation issues. Vaquita SAFE collaborators and many others that were
willing to share their work added relevant resources. Having this common and easy-to-share
resource helped to engage institutions in building out their conservation events and educational
programming. The AZA Network has also been a place to share these resources, although
perhaps not as efficiently or effectively.
A website was created as part of the public engagement process, by the SeaWorld Youth Advisory
Council (YAC). Vaquitas.org supports public engagement and information sharing with an easy-
to-remember URL. This site was a valuable space to share the guidelines for engaging in the
#pied4aporpoise challenge, also initiated by the SeaWorld YAC.
Social Media
Technology and media allow us to share messages much more broadly beyond the public we
serve in-house. Initially many of the collaborators were thinking of their park visitors as the
primary target audiences for vaquita messaging. However, it was clear early on that those
audiences would only be a fraction of the public outreach potential. Social media has been utilized
to spread messages from the beginning of the AZA SAFE program using Facebook, Facebook live,
Instagram, and Twitter extensively. Hashtags have included #4aPorpoise, #SavingSpecies,
#pied4aporpoise, and more recently #party4aporpoise.
Probably the most successful campaign was #pied4aporpoise, modeled after other popular
13fundraising video campaigns. Institutions including zoos, aquariums, sanctuaries, and others
challenged each other to take a pie to the face and donate to VaquitaCPR.org to support vaquita
conservation. This campaign also spread to public figures and members of the media. Videos for
this campaign were shared on social media and linked through the hashtag. The SeaWorld YAC
conceived of this plan which was then supported by the Aquarium of the Pacific, Oregon Coast
Aquarium, The Living Desert Zoo, and the Texas State Aquarium. With over 500,000 views on
Facebook, over 100 institutions participating, and a reach of about 20 million people,
#pied4aporpoise was a huge success. In addition to public engagement, VaquitaCPR.org reported
an uptick in monetary support linked to this campaign.
Earned media, or coverage in the news, is an additional aspect of engagement with vaquita
conservation issues. International Save the Vaquita Day has been an important event to hook
media attention on the plight of the vaquita.
K-12 Curriculum and On the Floor Messaging
Whale Times and the Oregon Coast Aquarium opted to develop a K-12 curriculum for the vaquita.
Prior to SAFE these two entities were engaged with NOAA Fisheries to develop curriculum, and
through AZA SAFE this curriculum has been shared broadly.
Taking the vaquita story to the floor of our zoos and aquariums has had mixed success. Those
institutions with funds to support new exhibits added some graphics and videos; others had
preexisting vaquita content. Most institutions hosted events emphasizing vaquita messaging.
Vaquita events have been effective at spreading awareness and raising conservation funds. They
are “doable” and have lower activation energy than planning a permanent exhibit. While useful,
these engagements are ephemeral and with only the potential for engaging those guests present
on those days.
Additionally, whether the messaging will be institutionalized and repeated is still to be
determined. An alternative yet more permanent solution could be to incorporate vaquita
messaging into shows and interpretation from docents and presenters. This approach has been
implemented at the Aquarium of the Pacific with some success, combining vaquita messages into
our seal and sea lion shows and our sea otter show.
Fundraising
Fundraising for the vaquita from zoo and aquarium audiences has also had mixed success.
Finding the appropriate direct conservation actions to receive funding, where we knew that the
money would go to good use, was a challenge. VaquitaCPR was established shortly after Vaquita
SAFE and became an obvious and easy choice to direct conservation giving. AZA institutions
were also amazingly generous in their support for VaquitaCPR, with more than 100 zoos and
aquariums collectively giving over $1.44 million (see Appendix 1 below). While this is a success,
it is not part of the public engagement goals set in the Vaquita SAFE Conservation Action Plan
(Vaquita SAFE 2015).
Two fundraising actions that were successful include the #pied4aporpoise and #party4aporpoise
campaigns. #pied4aporoise generated significant interest from the zoo and aquarium
community, with over 100 institutions participating, gaining individual donations and challenging
14others to do the same. This campaign has provided both awareness and a steady stream of
smaller individual donations to VaquitaCPR. An additional success has been the implementation
of “fun-draisers,” like #party4aporpoise. Institutions can apply the familiar restaurant/bar
fundraiser model that has been used by youth athletics and schools for years. A restaurant or
bar is asked to donate a portion of proceeds on a given day to the conservation cause. This event
typically falls on a slow night and attendance is boosted by the event. The AZA was successful at
raising about $4,000 on one such occasion. While the total dollars raised is small, the potential
exists for replication, and if a large and widespread audience was engaged, the potential to raise
significant conservation funds could be easily realized.
15Conservation Status of Taxon
The vaquita was listed as Critically Endangered on the International Union for the Conservation of
Nature’s (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species in 2008 and listed as Endangered on the U.S.
Endangered Species Act in 1985.
The most serious threat to the survival of the vaquita has been bycatch from gillnets set for
shrimp from commercial and artisanal fishing (D’Agrosa et al. 2000), but in the last few years
illegal totoaba gillnet fishing has been the leading cause. Vaquita are vulnerable to drowning by
entanglement in a wide range of mesh net sizes: from 7 cm used for shrimp to 15 cm used for
sharks and illegal capture of totoaba (D’Agrosa et al. 2000). When vaquita populations were
much greater, in one port alone, 39-84 vaquita were killed as bycatch from gillnets (Rojas-Bracho
& Taylor 1999).
Population and Habitat Viability Assessment
Fewer than 22 vaquitas are estimated to remain in the world (Porpoise.org 2018, CIRVA 2017a,
2019), with informal estimates from 2019 being as few as six and a best estimate of 10 (CIRVA
2019). Acoustic surveys using underwater hydrophones (currently 87 sensors are used) dating
back to 2011, in combination with the 1997, 2015, 2017, and 2018 population and mortality
estimates, show that the vaquita population continues to decline every year since inception,
including from the most recent data available from 2017. As such, the species is facing a very
high risk of extinction (Figure 3; Jaramillo-Legorreta et al. 2007, CIRVA 2016, Taylor et al. 2016,
CIRVA 2017a, CIRVA 2019). Despite the annual population estimates and the resultant habitat
use assessments from the hydrophones, very little is known scientifically and locally about the
reproductive biology, behavior, and ecology of the vaquita.
Overall, the historical
mortality of the vaquita
due to incidental bycatch
from shrimping has been
estimated to be between
7-15% per year (Barlow
et al. 1997). However, the
emergence in recent
years of a rampant illegal
totoaba fishing has
increased the decline to
34% per year (CIRVAThreats
The vaquita porpoise (Phocoena sinus) (Figure 4) is one of the most critically endangered cetaceans in
the world. Located only off the coasts of the northwestern corner of the Gulf of California, Mexico
(Figure 1), this small porpoise has the most limited range of any marine cetacean and is difficult to
locate. In late 2017, the vaquita population was estimated to have fewer than 96 individuals (CIRVA
2017b) and in early 2019, the population was estimated to have fallen to fewer than 22 (CIRVA
2019). The primary threat currently affecting the vaquita is their being incidentally caught and
subsequently drowned in gillnets set for the totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi).
Figure 5 - Fishing for totoaba in the Upper Gulf of California in the early 1990s, with vaquita bycatch on gillnet.
Gillnets were and are still used in fishing activities in villages of the Upper Gulf of California
including San Felipe, El Golfo de Santa Clara, and Puerto Peñasco (Bahre et al. 2000). Before the
2014 gillnet ban, these gillnets were used to catch finfish and shrimp legally but now their illegal
use to catch endangered totoaba fish is widespread.
Established as totoaba fishing camps, the villages of the Upper Gulf of California experienced
profitable gains when totoaba were legally traded for their swim bladders, which peaked from
1925-1946 (Bahre et al, 2000). Initially, totoaba were exported to California and southern
Arizona en route to China where totoaba swim bladders were highly sought after (Bahre et al .
2000). However, due to overfishing, totoaba were listed on Appendix I of the International
Convention on Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES) in 1986, which prohibited
the importation of the species into the United States, except for the purposes of scient ific
research (Findley 2010). Subsequently, totoaba emerged as an illegal fishery to supply the
demand for swim bladders in Asia. Totoaba swim bladders are used in a soup (fish maw soup)
17and are perceived to have medicinal value.
Fishing remains a primary source of income for most village inhabitants of the Upper Gulf of
California and switching from alternative gear to gillnets is a challenge because of a lack of
infrastructure and resources. Moreover, gillnets that have been abandoned at sea for various
reasons pose an additional threat to vaquita. The removal of this derelict gear is made
considerably more difficult given presence of unlawful activities tied to it.
Unfortunately, illegal gillnet fishing for the endangered totoaba fish using gillnets is o ccurring at
an alarming level. This fishery is driven by the demand for totoaba swim bladders known as “fish
maw” in Asia where poachers can earn between $7,000-$14,000 USD per fish and this has
attracted the involvement of organized crime (Diaz 2014).
The nets set for totoaba directly affect vaquita in a similar manner to legal nets, which cause
harmful drowning events due to entanglement. Resolutions of the International Whaling
Commission have stated that the totoaba fishery is largely responsible for the endangered status
of the vaquita and urged strong actions by Mexico, China, and the United States to stop this
fishery and illegal trade.
Recovery Plan
The IUCN Recovery Plan (Rojas-Bracho & Taylor 2017) and the most recent CIRVA report (CIRVA
2019) have actions laid out to ameliorate the threats to the vaquita in situ. Given that breeding in
human care is not a possibility (VaquitaCPR 2018), the focus is on removing illegal fishing in the
protected area of the vaquita, prosecuting poachers, monitoring the population size and status of
the vaquita, and create alternative fishing gear for the fishers to be able to fish sustainably in the
Upper Gulf of California.
The most recent CIRVA report (CIRVA 2019) places a strong emphasis on activities to support
vaquita-safe fisheries and to develop viable alternative livelihoods in the Upper Gulf of California.
Ultimately, successful vaquita conservation will depend on well-managed, sustainable fisheries
that support, and are supported by, the local communities. This suite of approaches has been
broadly vetted by the leaders of CIRVA and is the focus of the current Vaquita SAFE Action Plan.
18Strategic Objectives
The long-term, ambitious goal of the Vaquita SAFE Program is to expand vaquita populations
through reducing the fishing pressures that are imposed on vaquita through unintended bycatch
due to gillnet fishing primarily from the three largest fishing communities in the Upper Gulf: San
Felipe, El Golfo de Santa Clara, and Puerto Peñasco.
The main goal of the Vaquita SAFE Program for the three years of this Program Plan is to further
the creation of a sustainable fishery and thriving but sustainable communities in the Upper Gulf of
California (below referred to as the Upper Gulf).
The strategic objectives included below in the Vaquita SAFE Program Plan continue the
recommendations from the original Vaquita SAFE Conservation Action Plan 2016 – 2018, but
emphasize the importance of sustainable fisheries as the only viable way to conserve the vaquita
as well as all the other thousands of marine species in the Upper Gulf. The main program
strategic objectives are summarized in Table 4 below; however specific actions, metrics,
timeframes, and estimated budgets are detailed in the Vaquita SAFE 3-year Program Plan Action
Table below.
Table 4. Summary of the strategic objectives listed in the Vaquita SAFE 3‐year Program Plan.
Conservation Biology Objectives
Strategic Objective 1: Support the building of capacity of law enforcement agencies and
communities to stop illegal poaching of totoaba, and the incidental killing of vaquita and other
species
Stakeholder Engagement Objectives
Strategic Objective 2: Create a Lessons Learned document from the past 5 years of vaquita
conservation to guide current conservation efforts in the Upper Gulf and serve as a resource for
other near-shore cetacean conservation projects
Strategic Objective 3: Help align vaquita conservation with local community needs and
perspectives
Strategic Objective 4: Support and share a market chain analysis with traceability for sustainable
seafood sourced from the Upper Gulf
Strategic Objective 5: Support the creation of a certification process for vaquita safe seafood
products including supply-chain inspections for sustainable seafood sourced from the Upper Gulf
Strategic Objective 6: Collaborating with local Mexican NGOs working for sustainable change to
Upper Gulf fisheries and encourage and build capacity among local fishers to explore and develop
alternative fishing gear
19Strategic Objective 7: Collaborating with local Mexican NGOs to conduct an economic
opportunities analysis for the Upper Gulf to identify novel economic opportunities and alternative
livelihoods (other than fishing) in these communities
Strategic Objective 8: For the benefit of the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta
Biosphere Reserve, support and encourage sustainable ecosystem management of the Upper Gulf
of California
Communications / Public Awareness Objectives
Strategic Objective 9: Create a demand in the United States for sustainable seafood sourced
from the Upper Gulf and stigmatize unsustainably caught seafood.
Strategic Objective 10: Develop outreach and awareness campaigns among residents of the
Upper Gulf to showcase the unique animals and plants present locally and establish patrimonial
pride in their local ecosystem
Strategic Objective 11: Implement petition, letter writing, and postcard campaigns to encourage
the Government of Mexico to support vaquita conservation
Strategic Objective 12: Implement petition, letter writing, and postcard campaigns to encourage
the Governments of the United States, Canada, and Europe to broadly support sustainable
seafood, a key effort needed to support vaquita conservation efforts
Strategic Objective 13: Develop relevant outreach and awareness campaigns to decrease the
demand for totoaba swim bladder (fish maw or buche) in the US and in China
Funding Objectives
Strategic Objective 14: Capitalize on media events globally to raise funds from the public and
donors for the creation of sustainable seafood production and export and sustainable
communities in the Upper Gulf
Strategic Objective 15: Secure grant funding for specific projects that are done in the Upper Gulf,
mostly to support our local conservation partners
20Vaquita SAFE 3‐year Program Plan Action Table (2019‐2021)
This Action Table does not specify precise numerical goals under the metric column. This decision was made because
vaquita conservation is at a crossroads. The most ambitious plan of rescuing the animals from the perils of the drift gillnets
filling their range was unsuccessful, and with the demise of the VaquitaCPR program, this has been determined that robust ex
situ management will no longer be a feasible approach. Because vaquita numbers are so low, there is a great probability that
the species will go extinct. Consequently, past participants in the Vaquita SAFE may bow out. As such, we are not certain of the
level of involvement in this initiative by several AZA member institutions.
Depending on the response to this call for participation, the goal metrics will be increased or decreased according to the
level of involvement. Also, note that due to the rapidly shifting political and social situations in the Upper Gulf of California, the
status of many of the actions listed below are in flux. As with all conservation plans, many of the strategic objectives and
actions required to accomplish them will require additional research. Timeframe and budgets are kept vague below as
consequence.
Abbreviations: AOP – Aquarium of the Pacific, CEDO – Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Océanos, DZ
– Dallas Zoo, HZ – Houston Zoo, SFW – Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, MBCM – Museo de la Ballena y
Ciencias del Mar, MMC – Marine Mammal Center, Pesca ABC – Local Fisheries Cooperative in San Felipe, OPHK –
Ocean Park Hong Kong, PZ – Phoenix Zoo, SDZG – San Diego Zoo Global, SBZ – Santa Barbara Zoo, TLD – The
Living Desert, TSA – Texas State Aquarium, UCSD – University of California San Diego, VV – Viva Vaquita, WTA –
Wildlife Trafficking Alliance
Conservation Objectives
Strategic Objective 1: Support the building of capacity of law enforcement agencies and communities to
stop illegal poaching of totoaba, and the incidental killing of vaquita and other species
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Network the main actors Creation of a network of X X X AOP CEDO, Museo May be quite
1.1 in the gillnet removal gillnet removal actors; de la Ballena, contentious; AZA
process from the Maintaining network Sea Shepherd only supporting
exclusion zone Field Partners
Encourage the Mexican Tons of nets removed; X X X AOP, TLD, SBZ CEDO, Mexican May be quite
1.2 Navy to patrol and Number of contacts Navy contentious; AZA
enforce gillnet ban between the Mexican only supporting
Navy and poachers Field Partners
Explore the option and Increased interceptions X X X SFW May be quite
1.3 use of aerial surveys to between poachers and TBD contentious; AZA
patrol the Upper Gulf. patrol units. only supporting
Field PartnersStakeholder Engagement Objectives
Strategic Objective 2: Create a Lessons Learned document from the past 5 years of vaquita conservation to
guide current conservation efforts in the Upper Gulf and serve as a resource for other near-shore cetacean
conservation projects
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Draft Lessons Learned Creation of draft X AOP, TLD
2.1 document based on document
Vaquita SAFE first 3 years
Share draft Lessons Creation of second draft X SBZ, SFW, AZA
2.2 Learned document to document core SAFE staff
other AZA institutions
Share second draft Creation of final document X AOP, TLD MMC, CEDO,
2.3 Lessons Learned VV
document to non-AZA
Field Partner institutions
Distribute and popularize Number of presentations X X X AOP, TLD
2.4 document and lessons given; Number of copies
learned to other distributed
conservation
organizations focused on
near-shore cetaceans
Create a model for Creation of a model that X X AOP, TLD
2.5 species conservation that can be used for other
builds upon the Lessons near-shore cetacean
Learned document conservation, as well as
other terrestrial species
Strategic Objective 3: Help align vaquita conservation with local community needs and perspectives
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Conduct community Three community X X X TLD, AOP CEDO, Pesca Need to be
3.1 meetings in the Upper meetings each year of ABC, Scripps judicious in these
Gulf to understand the the program meetings, rely on
aspirations of residents CEDO & Pesca ABC
Coordinate with Multi-year creation of best X X TLD, AOP CEDO, Pesca Strong reliance on
3.2 community-based practices, and iteration of local groups as the
ABC
conservation groups these with repeat lead, AZA as a
already on site in the community meetings supporter
Upper Gulf to align
support their efforts
Use community Number of organizations X X TLD, AOP CEDO, Pesca Will likely
3.3 knowledge to develop a in total; Two new ABC, Scripps emphasize whatshared (UG consumer organizations conservationists
Community/AZA) plan near each AZA partner need to do to work
towards the development organization each year with locals in the
and sustainability of these Upper Gulf
aspirations
Strategic Objective 4: Support and share a market chain analysis with traceability for sustainable seafood
sourced from the Upper Gulf
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Increase the number of Number of institutions X X X Focal Members to Led by all current
4.1 AZA member institutions in total; Two new Recruit: TSA, HZ, Steering
leading the sustainable institutions added as DZ, PZ committee
seafood program for leads for the members; AZA
Vaquita SAFE to at least sustainable seafood organizations
eight by 2020. program each year of identified area
the program already involved
Identify and cultivate One distributor each in X X X AOP, PZ, TSA Build on the
4.2 distributors and importers Southern California, successes that
for sustainable seafood Arizona, West Texas; AOP has already
from the Upper Gulf Identify a possible had in the LA
importer by 2020 Metropolitan Area
Identify and cultivate Two new consumer X X X AOP, TLD, SFW, Will ideally focus
4.3 consumer organizations organizations near each on zoos and
SBZ, others
for sustainable seafood AZA partner organization aquariums, as well
from the Upper Gulf each year as the seafood
restaurants in
their region
Strategic Objective 5: Support the creation of a certification process for vaquita safe seafood products
including supply-chain inspections for sustainable seafood sourced from the Upper Gulf
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Research standards for Complete research X TLD, AOP, SFW TBD, CEDO Ideally, this would
5.1 certification of sustainably from at least three focus on
caught seafood from comparable ecosystems with
ecosystems like the Upper ecosystems small cetaceans as
Gulf prominent species,
including
PRONATURA workObtain feedback and Approval from the lead X TLD CEDO Process to be led
5.2 approval for the basic fishing committee in San by CEDO, assisted
approach for certification Felipe, El Golfo de Santa by TLD
process from Mexican Clara, and Puerto Peñasco
fishers in each community
Identify a professional Recruit and involve this X AOP, SFW CEDO, Pesca This could be the
5.3 seafood certification individual in creating a certifier of
ABC
partner to help with the certification process, sustainable
creation of this process working in USA & Mexico seafood
Have domestic USA Approval of certification X AOP, SFW
5.4 importers and distributors process by each importer
approve certification and distributor in SO 3
process
Get approval of the Approval of certification X AOP, SFW
5.5 certification process from process by third-party
relevant Mexican and US organizations in Mexico
organizations and US
Create a logo for Well-reviewed and X MBA, AOP
5.6
sustainably caught approved certification logo
seafood from the Upper
Gulf
Strategic Objective 6: Collaborating with local Mexican NGOs working for sustainable change to Upper Gulf
fisheries and encourage and build capacity among local fishers to explore and develop alternative fishing
gear
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Literature search and Summary document of X TLD, SBZ CEDO, UCSD
6.1 review of past efforts in past and possible
Upper Gulf on alternative future alternative
fishing gear fishing gear in Upper
Gulf
Assess the mood of Summary document of X TLD, SBZ CEDO, Pesca
6.2 fishers in receptivity to data collected in San ABC
current and possible new Felipe, El Golfo de Santa
fishing gear using focus Clara, and Puerto Peñasco
groups
Share results of focus Number of public X TLD SBZ CEDO, Pesca CEDO and Pesca
6.3 groups with fishers, presentations in San ABC as leaders
ABC
international NGOs Felipe, El Golfo de Santa
involved, Mexican Clara, and Puerto
Fisheries Peñasco; Number of
copies distributed, number
of organizations reachedExplore the option of Summary document of X SFW TBD TBD
6.4 reinstating a legal sport permit information,
fishery for totoaba in the totoaba landings, and
GOC, specifically the combined economic value.
Upper Gulf
Strategic Objective 7: Conduct an economic opportunities analysis for the Upper Gulf to identify novel
economic opportunities and alternative livelihoods (other than fishing) in these communities
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Explore work by UCSD Document analysis X TLD, AOP, UCSD Catalina Lopez
7.1 researcher (Catalina summary, Meeting with SDZG document at
Lopez) to determine if it Lopez http://datamares.uc
addresses all Vaquita sd.edu/stories/the-
SAFE priorities value-of-fisheries-in-
the-upper-gulf-of-
california/
Support efforts to identify Summary document of X TLD, SDZG CEDO Led by CEDO
7.2 additional economic economic analysis of
opportunities study in San Upper Gulf; Number of
Felipe, El Golfo de Santa interviews and focus
Clara, and Puerto Peñasco groups
using individual interviews
of representative
community members in
each community
Determine likely Economic analysis of X X AOP, SBZ, TLD
7.3 receptivity of Upper Gulf demand for products in
of California sourced the US; Number of
products in SW US as well interviews and
as AZA Members; organizations interviewed
Interview likely economic
partners in SW & AZA
Synthesize results of Summary document X TLD, AOP, CEDO
7.4 previous works with SDZG
recommendations for
action
Use the land-river-sea At least 2 novel eco- X X X SFW TBD TBD
7.5
connection, explore the tourism operations will
option of eco-tourism to incorporate the Upper Gulf
emphasize the into their travel
significance of this itineraries.
biological hot spot.Strategic Objective 8: For the benefit of the Upper Gulf of California and Colorado River Delta Biosphere
Reserve, support and encourage sustainable ecosystem management of the Upper Gulf of California
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
Host community meetings Number of community X X X AOP, TLD, CEDO Start with Lessons
8.1 to learn how to best move meetings in each of the SDZG Learned document
forward three main population in 2019 and then
centers of Mexico Economic Analysis
work while in
process in 2020 &
2021
Bring in microfinance Number of microfinance X X X MBA, AOP, TLD CEDO Can approach
8.2 opportunities into organizations that are microfinance
communities of Upper brought into Upper Gulf; organizations
Gulf to help seed small Number of loans created before economic
businesses on land an in analysis
the sea
Communications / Public Awareness Objectives
Strategic Objective 9: Create a demand in the United States for sustainable seafood sourced from the
Upper Gulf and stigmatize unsustainably caught seafood
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
9.1 Continue efforts to create Messages posted on social X X X SBZ, TLD, AOP, Build on posts that
a demand for sustainable media; Hits, shares, SDZG we have done
seafood sourced from the impressions per post and already. Build on
Upper Gulf using social cumulatively Seafood Watch.
media, emphasizing AZA
members
9.2 Tie in sustainable seafoodNumber of AZA and non- X X X All involved All involved This will be
as a major focus of AZA member institutions AZA Members non-AZA expected to build
International Save the involved; Approximate Members year on year. Build
Vaquita Day number of people reached on Seafood Watch.
on ISTVD at all sites
Work with AZA member Number of AZA member X X X MBA, AOP, TLD Focus on AZA
9.3 institutions to commit to institutions who have SBZ as leads; members in the S
buying sustainably committed to purchase Members in the and SW US as
sourced seafood from the this seafood when it is S & SW US as priorities. Build on
Upper Gulf available priorities Seafood Watch.Convince seafood Number of seafood X X X All involved Pledges will be for
9.4 restaurants in the cities restaurants per AZA AZA Members the future, ideally
and towns of the member institution in communities they are binding;
participating AZA member communities that have the S & SW US; Focus on S and
institutions to pledge to pledged; Total number of Aquarium SW US due to
buy sustainable seafood pledges Affairs small productivity
from the Upper Gulf Committee and in Upper Gulf
Aquarium relative to demand
in the US; Build on
Conservation
Seafood Watch.
Partnership
Strategic Objective 10: Develop outreach and awareness campaigns among residents of the Upper Gulf to
showcase the unique animals and plants present locally and establish patrimonial pride in their local
ecosystem
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
10.1 Develop and provide Curriculum developed; X X X SDZG CEDO, Build on and
curriculum for grades K- Number of communities, Schools in continue Ridge to
12 in local areas around schools, and children Upper Gulf Reef program from
program partners the involved in education SDZG in San
Upper Gulf to build campaign; Knowledge and Felipe
support and appreciation attitude gains among
for all local species children
10.2 100% Mexicano Messages posted on social X X X AOP, SBZ CEDO Campaign
campaigns in Upper Gulf media; Hits, shares, primarily will be in
and SW US, focused on impressions per post and Spanish; in
building pride in local cumulatively; Number of English in the US
species communities, schools, and
children involved in the
campaign
Community celebrations Number of events, X X X SDZG CEDO Led by CEDO and
10.3 of Mexican endangered communities, and communities
species in Upper Gulf participants in
celebrations; Attitude
change in those involved
in the event
Collect letters of Number of letters X X X AOP, TLD, Pesca ABC Collected in the
10.4 appreciation for the delivered annually others US, hand-
fishers that are interested delivered to
in complying with Mexico
sustainable fisheriesStrategic Objective 11: Implement petition, letter writing, and postcard campaigns to encourage the
Government of Mexico to support vaquita conservation
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
11.1 Million Postcard campaign Number of postcards X X Led by AOP, All US-based AOP & TLD have
to be delivered to Mexican delivered to embassies; TLD, SBZ; All Field designed card,
Embassies in CA, AZ, NM, Qualitative response from members Partners, TLD will print off
TX embassies on receipt including VV, and ship as
MMC desired
11.2 Create online petition(s) Number of signatures to X X X Mexican AZA CEDO, MBCM Led by Mexican
in Spanish to address to each petition and the total members; AZA members, but
Government of Mexico, number assisted by consult with CEDO
encourage them to SBZ, AOP, TLD, and MBCM to
support vaquita SFW determine most
conservation and specific salient approaches
aspects of sustainable
fisheries in particular
Strategic Objective 12: Implement petition, letter writing, and postcard campaigns to encourage the
Governments of the United States, Canada, and Europe to broadly support sustainable seafood, a key
effort needed to support vaquita conservation efforts
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
12.1 Social media campaign to Messages posted on social X X X SBZ, AOP, TLD, Targeted at West
encourage these three media; Hits, shares, all other AZA Coast cities with
governments (and maybe impressions per post and members on large Asian
EU too) to support species cumulatively West Coast populations; Use
conservation in the Upper hashtag
Gulf, with Vaquita as a #4aPorpoise for
focus tracking
12.2 Social media campaign to Messages posted on social X X X SBZ, AOP, TLD, Targeted at West
support sustainable media; Hits, shares, all other AZA Coast cities with
fisheries market from the impressions per post and members on large Asian
Upper Gulf (supporting SO cumulatively West Coast populations; Use
3-8) hashtag
#4aPorpoise for
tracking
12.3 Social media campaign to Messages posted on social X X X SBZ, AOP, TLD, Targeted at West
message against wildlife media; Hits, shares, all other AZA Coast cities with
trafficking of totoaba and impressions per post and members on large Asian
other SAFE species cumulatively West Coast; populations; Need
(supporting SO 12) WTA new hashtagStrategic Objective 13: Develop relevant outreach and awareness campaigns to decrease the demand for
totoaba swim bladder (fish maw or buche) in the US and in China
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
13.1 Social media campaign to Messages posted on social X X X SBZ, AOP, TLD, Targeted at West
decrease acceptability to media; Hits, shares, OPHK, all other Coast cities with
consume swim bladder of impressions per post and AZA members large Asian
all types; Could tie in with cumulatively on West Coast populations; Use
black rhino, shark and hashtag
rays, and other SAFE #4aPorpoise for
species tracking
13.2 School campaigns to talk Number of communities, X X X AOP, SBZ, TLD, Targeted at West
about conservation of schools, and children OPHK, other Coast cities with
global cetaceans, involved in the campaign; AZA members large Asian
including vaquita, to enlist Messages posted on social on West Coast populations; Use
the children as behavior media; Hits, shares, hashtag
change agents (connect impressions per post and #4aPorpoise for
to action number 10.1) cumulatively tracking;
13.3 Explore combined AT least 2 existing NGOs X X X OPHK, SFW WildAid, Targeted at end of
campaign opportunities will collaborate with AZA WAZA, WWF, supply chain: the
with other mission-aligned SAFE to strongly reinforce Greenpeace point of purchase
NGOs in strategic the message of decreased in strategic
locations in Asia. demand for fish maw or geographical and
buche. cultural locations
throughout Asia;
build on terrestrial
snare aware
programsFunding Objectives
Strategic Objective 14: Capitalize on media events globally to raise funds from the public and donors for
the creation of sustainable seafood production and export and sustainable communities in the Upper Gulf
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
14.1 Develop a fundraising Strategic document X X X TLD, TSA, AOP CEDO
strategy to acquire 100% created in the year 2019
of the funding needed to and utilized as a roadmap
implement the 3‐year for acquiring funds in
Action Plan for the years two and three
Vaquita SAFE Program
14.2 Identify global, national, Amount of dollars raised; X X X TLD, TSA, AOP, CEDO To create and
and regional events for Number of projects Others on the support local
specific event-based funded; Number of ground project partner
fundraising fundraising events staged efforts
Strategic Objective 15: Secure grant funding for specific projects that are done in the Upper Gulf, mostly to
support our local conservation partners
Timeframe and Budget AZA Field
Number Action Metric Notes
2019 2020 2021 Members Partners
15.1 Develop a fundraising Strategic document X X X TLD, TSA, AOP CEDO To create and
strategy for operations created in 2021 and support their
and programming of utilized as a roadmap for efforts towards
CEDO with them so that securing funds for future sustainable
they can be viable for 10 in-country operations and fisheries
years in Upper Gulf programmingYou can also read
